“I thought I felt something. But I also thought maybe I was just happy to see you,” she said, grinning. She pulled out her phone to glance at the number. It was a local one, but not a number she knew. Just as she started to answer, it was lost to voicemail. “I’ll check it later,” she said when her phone vibrated to indicate a new message. “I see a pair of lips I’d like to spend a couple minutes kissing before I have to head back inside to those kids.”

Gabe kissed her just long enough to warm her blood before slipping Samson’s leash from her hand. “You know, all those résumés you’ve been sending out… Why not take a few seconds to see who it was?”

Olivia shrugged. “You’re right. As always.”

Maybe it was because the afternoon had already been so perfect, but after pressing her phone to her ear and listening to the voicemail, she needed to play the short message a second time for it to sink in.

When it finished the second time, she had to steady herself by locking a hand over Gabe’s arm. He’d been watching Morgan and Samson take turns sniffing around the base of a crooked sapling. He looked her way at the touch and cocked an eyebrow. “Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing you don’t regret that lost minute or two of kissing. I hope you’re about to tell me you’re getting called in for an interview.”

She shook her head, keeping her hand on his arm. “Uh, not exactly. Maybe, I guess.”

“It’s got to be something good, because you look like Christmas just came about eight months early.”

“It was Principal Garcia. That must have been her cell phone. She said they’ve had a string of new-student applications. Enough to be over limit by one.”

“Over limit by one? That’s enough, isn’t it?”

Olivia bit her lip, but the smile still spread across her face. “It would seem so. I can hardly believe it. Gabe, it’s the one job I wanted all along.”

Gabe enveloped her in a tight hug. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, but no one deserves a position there more than you. Not after all you’ve done with those kids.”

“She didn’t exactly say the position was mine, but she asked me to come to her office first thing Monday morning. Here, listen, because I can hardly believe it.”